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Waiting Here For You Advent Journey Of Hope 7 Day Devotional. Day 1:

JUST THE RIGHT TIME

REFLECTION

A Savior had been promised to God’s people for centuries. They longed and prayed for rescue. And then on the right day, in the right place, at the right time, Jesus was born. While God rarely comes at our appointed time, He always comes at the right time.

All of us are waiting on something, often wondering if God has forgotten us. In your waiting, let the birth of Christ encourage you. Just because God hasn’t come through (as far as you can see), it doesn’t mean He has abandoned you. To Him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. This very minute He’s working for His glory and for your good. Though circumstances say otherwise, God is going to come through, on schedule, fulfilling His long-appointed plans for you. Don’t give up before the time is right.

Take hope in the manger and know that you are loved and prized by the God who stepped down from heaven and arrived at the perfect time for you.

MEDITATION

Hark the Glad Sound

Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne,
And ev’ry voice a song.

He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.

He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
To enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’ns eternal arches ring
With Thy beloved name.

Philip Doddridge, 1702–1751

PRAYER

Father, meet me in the waiting, the place where I long for what is not fully in view. Still my heart and give me the ability to know that You are near. I believe Your plans are good. I see it in the birth of Your only Son.

But sometimes I struggle to see beyond the haze that surrounds me. Renew my confidence as I lift my eyes to You. Be glorified in my life during this season of expectation. Amen.

Give Thanks/ All Good Things 4 Day Devotional Day 3:

Your Friend

I know it feels hard to hear Me sometimes. I know you wonder how you can become more adept at listening, keen to my voice within you. My whispers are always loud enough for you to hear, but quiet enough so that they can be ignored, too. 

Have you considered how this might be the best kind of relationship—a relationship where the friend doesn’t barge in, demanding to be noticed, shouting to be heard? That can be a lot of noise. And communication, then, is only clamor—not solicitude, not kindness, not fortification for your heart. 

I am the friend who asks to be invited in. I am the friend in the quiet, the quiet within you, the guest outside the door knocking, waiting. I am here, not far away. And I don’t tell you I am waiting to be invited in because I want you to feel guilty or sad or discouraged. I am not telling you I stand, outside, waiting, for the purpose of making you feel you need to work harder, listen better, be a kinder daughter to Me. 

I want you to know I am the friend who will not disappoint. I am the friend who will be strong when you need Me to be. I am the friend who will give you words of hope when you feel sad or disappointed. I am the friend who knows what you mean when you say “I am dying inside” or “I am so alone” and you are lost and afraid of the quiet.

I am the friend who can be heard, even amidst noise. Your heart can be tuned to Me, in any situation. But in the quiet, it can be easiest to hear Me. You can be busy and bustling around. But remember I am the friend who equips you to love others. And without you letting Me in, into your relationships, into your work, into your moments of doing and going and trying, you will feel hollow inside. You will feel alone.

I am the friend who knows everything about you and knows you can, indeed, hear Me. 

Listen.

Shall I come in?

Give Thanks/All Good Things 4 Day Devotional Day 2:

You are the One I Choose to Love

My daughter, I am your strength. No matter where you go and where you turn, my love for you does not change. I want to be with you.

I am not obligated to love you because I am your Father. It is not something I have to do. But I do.

I do not change. And so my love does not change.  I want to love you.  I am what I am, and I love what I do.

I choose to be with you, and I choose to love you. I choose to be your strength. I do what I do because I am who I am.  You can count on Me.

You can count on Me to love you no matter where you go or what you do. And the belief I give you in Me, your heart to choose Me or turn away from Me, will help you believe. I can deepen your belief in my love, and I can help your unbelief.

So do not despair. Do not worry that your thoughts about Me bring Me close and push Me away. My love is what draws Me to you. And my love draws you to Me.

Some things you cannot control. And isn’t that better?

So, what do you want to tell Me now? What do you want to ask Me? I love being with you. I love how we spend time together.